The Puckeridge Hunt

The Puckeridge Hunt was formed in 1725 and the present hunt boundaries were set in 1799. The kennels are at Brent Pelham and they hunt in Essex, Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire. Their Hunt Supporters Club was established in 1959.

Chairman: Robert Barclay

Masters: Neil Pearson, Karen Fiske, Georgia Dollar and Major Ted Barclay, Neil MacLeod

Huntsman: Josh Tierney

Whipper-in: Emilia Short

Field-Master: The Masters

Joint honorary secretaries: Stuart and Claire Norman and Georgina Harford.

BRITAIN is one of our most important markets for Traditional Irish Hunters, while from an agri-tourism point of view, we see more British people coming to Ireland to hunt, judge hounds and buy horses. And many Irish equestrians have forged strong friendships with British hunt followers, regularly travelling over to enjoy their hunting pursuits over the British hedge country, particularly with the Beaufort, Ledbury, the Quorn, and also competing in the Golden Button cross-country race.

Some time ago I travelled over with a group to the Puckeridge Hunt which has a rich history of hunting the arable farms in Essex, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire with the meet at Ted and Lizzie Barclay’s farm. Among the group was Fintan Sullivan, better known as a prominent Louth estate agent and Horse Sport Ireland accredited coach who has hunted with the Louth Foxhounds and the Fingal Harriers. Also hunting were Annie McGinn, whose father Eamonn is a joint-master of the Louths, and Hannah Parkes who travelled all the way to England for her first hunt.

Shopping for Irish horses

Joint-master of the Puckeridge, Karen Fiske, is a regular visitor to Ireland, hunting, attending horse sales and eventing. Two of her hunters are by Huntingfield Rebel and his frozen semen is available from Olive Broderick’s Kylemore Stud in Galway.

Karen’s daughter Sophie Byford is an up and coming star of British eventing. She gained her initial experience on the British Junior Eventing panel, riding her Irish imported coloured pony The Texas Ranger. Sophie was placed fourth in the CCI2* in Millstreet and similar placings on her new horse Handsome, a warmblood from Holland in the Magic Millions Festival of British Eventing and also at Gatcombe Park. Karen works to a simple principle, if she needs hunters she shops in Ireland, and for warmbloods she shops on the continent. Karen and her husband Neil farm extensively and supply much of the horse forage to nearby Newmarket. They also run a shoot on their farm which is popular with Irish visitors.

It is always a pleasure for me to see so many Traditional Irish-bred hunters in the field, looking so well with their owners so keen to tell you how proud they are to own one. And many are riding in Berney Brothers’ saddles, which probably makes sense as Berneys hand-make 1,500 saddles every year. On my previous visit, I met one particular family, Jack and Laura Pitman and their three children Max, Georgie and Rose, all mounted on Traditional Irish Hunters.

The first two hunters at the meet were by the great Irish Draught stallion Huntingfield Rebel and they were ridden by Karen Fiske and Fintan Sullivan. Joint-master Georgia Dollar was on an Irish-bred with bloodlines going back to King of Diamonds, sourced through Edmond Mahony, chairman of Tattersalls. Tim Vestey, a former master of the Cotswold and Exmoor, was hunting, his family are masters of the Thurlow. Also out were Richard Thorpe and Michael Ewars.

Interesting story

Special presentations were made to some of the younger members – Hettie and Hannah Lowdes and Sophie and Alexander MacLeod – were awarded the silver cup for the Best Junior Hunt Followers of the season by joint-master Ted Barclay. Sophie (11) literally flew across the stiff hedges all day on her 13-year-old Irish-bred old pony Sparky, imported from Ireland when he was a three-year-old. Ready for the off were Ian and Heather Monks, and Karen’s niece Laura Byford, who was hunting an Irish Sport Horse as was Sue Barclay whose husband Robert was following by car.

It was a delight to meet Anne Chevasse who spent the war years in Castlestownsend in Co Cork being a relation of West Carbury Foxhounds master Edith Somerville, part of the successful writing partnership that was Somerville & Ross. A film series based on their book, The Irish RM, was recently shown on TG4. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to study their manuscripts in the USA some years ago and I was intrigued that Anne lived for a time in Tally-Ho House, where Edith spent her final days before she passed away in 1949. Anne’s original family home was Whitfield Court in Waterford. Her father Lt Col Kendall Chavasse was a founding member of the Irish Farmers Association and honorary secretary of the West Waterford Foxhounds for 19 seasons.

Gilbert Dunlop was following as was Tom and Lee Walters, on a quad. The box on front of the quad was a well-stocked drinks cabinet full of home brew, much more practical than accommodating terriers! I met photographer Dave Mallows who bought a horse in Ireland named Biddy’s Knock Boy, produced by Kieran Moran in Wexford, that went through the Go for Gold Sale in Goresbridge. He is by Jack Lambert’s Irish Draught stallion Killinick Bouncer and is ridden by his daughter Grace. Also following was Grace and Ruth Marshall, Paul Sullivan, Sarah Yarrow and Jenny Chapman of the enthusiastic Hunt Supporters Club.

Observing the law

Before moving off, joint-master Neil Pearson reminded the followers that they would be hunting within the 2004 Hunting Act – meaning they would not be hunting live quarry but following drag lines. Huntsman Josh Tierney was riding a hunter purchased from Ballymacad huntsman Kevin Donohoe. Whipper-in Emelia Short is a fine rider, and when not hunting, produces show hunters with considerable success, qualifying some for the Horse of the Year Show. Her father Dave was following as was Jennie Chapman.

Unlike Ireland, farms of 1,000 acres and upwards are the norm in this area and the pack hunted all day on mainly two farms belonging to brothers Ted and Charles Barclay. Of course, the Barclay family are known throughout the hunting world as masters of the Puckeridge Hounds. It was to Captain Charles Barclay that the young Michael Higgens got his taste for hunting hounds before he went on to the Finden Harriers in Australia, The Island, East Galway, Ormond, Avondhu, Kilmoganny and 19 seasons as master and huntsman of the Tipperarys.

Synonymous with hunting

Joint-master Ted Barclay is a personality in his own right and a widely travelled man. His house is like a hunting gallery, and his vast library of hunting books is like an Aladdin’s Cave, reflecting a family stepped in the chase. As is fitting of such an outgoing gentleman, his repertoire of hunting stories could represent another set of volumes for the family library – if a budding author was looking for an interesting subject.

With the trails laid, hounds moved off to the first line from Ted Barclay’s farmyard, starting at Violet’s Springs past Tim Bonnar’s, chairman of the Countryside Alliance. The next line was over a variety of hunt fences at Shanks Moat which ran on to Beechers, then to the Firs and Newtown passing the kennels on the run. Hounds were then laid on a line from Hall Wood by Blackhall, Chamberlins, Colegreen by Robert Barclay’s haylage business, Fox Feeds, which is sold throughout the country. Roe and Munjac deer were running in same direction but hounds were steady. Roe deer are so plentiful that one follower saw a herd of 91 crossing a road the previous week.

The next line was Roley Green, and on to Three Acres by St John’s Pelham, where the Huntingfield Rebel hunters of Karen Fiske and Fintan Sullivan attacked a succession of trimmed hedges which the pony riders took in their stride. The day finished up with a nice run from Horsemead Park, to Merlin, The Willows and on to Ladywood crossing the road to Pen Wood and Rotten Row where hounds checked just short of Roger’s Wood before a gentle hack home.

Ted and Lizzie Barclay provided sumptuous refreshments and delicacies – like something from walking into Fortrum and Masons in Picadilly. The Puckeridge followers have a great backroom team that makes sure that the followers are well nourished. And I would like to thank them for supporting our horse industry by buying our Traditional Irish Hunters!

(Noel Mullins and Dickie and Catherine Power’s hunting reports will return in the autumn)